This is flamenco flamenco Spanish flamenco. Spanish flamenco dance

Spain, Flamenco. What is this dance style, which is known far beyond the borders of its homeland and leaves no one indifferent... Originating in the south of Spain, in Andalusia, combining emotional dance, guitar, percussion and singing, flamenco has won the souls of many... Read more about the history of flamenco in this article...

Flamenco comes in many varieties: dance, musical accompaniment in the form of guitar and percussion (quijon, castanets and rhythmic clapping) and emotional singing. Since 2010, this dance has the status World Heritage(UNESCO).

A flamenco dancer is called a bailaora, and the traditional dress in which she dances is a bata de cola, which reaches the floor, with frills and flounces, reminiscent of the attire of gypsies. The hem of the dress is gracefully used during the dance, as is the shawl with long tassels, which is an important part female dance flamenco. Bailaor - flamenco dancer, dressed in white shirt with a wide belt and dark trousers.

History of flamenco

The roots of the emergence of flamenco go back to the distant past - during the reign of the Moors and the appearance of gypsies in Spain, however, the exact date of the emergence of flamenco is difficult to say. It is also believed that Jewish and Christian cultures, Gypsy and Spanish played a role in the emergence of flamenco in its classical form. Each culture brought something of its own to this emotional dance. And in the 20th century, flamenco absorbed Cuban melodies, jazz motifs, and some elements of classical ballet appeared in the dance.

There are two main categories of flamenco:

1. Cante jondo (Cante jondo) is the oldest branch of flamenco. This includes following forms flamenco (palos) - Toná, Soleá, Seguiriya, Fandango.
2. Cante flamenco (Cante flamenco), which includes alegrías, bulerías, farruca.

In both categories there are 3 types - singing, guitar and dance, however, in the ancient types of flamenco there is practically no musical accompaniment. In modern types of dance you can often find a variety of musical instruments - from the violin to exotic instruments Latin America, such as Cajon, Darbuca, Bongo.

Flamenco festivals.

Once every 2 years, in Seville, you can visit the most significant flamenco festival - Bienal de Flamenco, which began to be held in 1980. However, other flamenco and guitar festivals are held annually throughout Spain. The main cities of the event are Cadiz,

Flamenco harmony combines features of both modality and classical-romantic tonality. The two most recognizable modalisms in flamenco are the Phrygian scale and the Gypsy scale (otherwise known as the "Arabic scale"). The Phrygian revolution, for example, is found in soleares, in the majority bulerias, sigiriyas, tangos And tientos, gypsy scale - in saete.

The typical chord progression, called the Andalusian cadence in Spain, is a local variation of the Phrygian turn, e.g. Am-G-F-E. The pitch system based on the use of such a cadence is called the “Andalusian,” “Phrygian,” or “Dorian” mode in flamenco literature (it should not be identified with the monodic Phrygian and Dorian modes in ancient and medieval music). According to the famous flamenquista guitarist Manolo Sanlúcar, in this mode the chord E(E major) is the tonic, F(F major) has a harmonic dominant function, while Am(A minor) and G(G major) play the role of subdominant and mediant, respectively. According to another (more widespread) point of view, the tonic in in this case is A minor, and the dominant chord is E major. In connection with the typical disposition of consonances in flamenco forms, the dominant chord is metrically strongest (“strong” because it contains ends period), hence the alternative name for a pitch structure of this type - dominant mode.

Guitarists use two main fingerings of the Andalusian cadence - "por arriba" ("above") and "por medio" ("in the middle"). The capo is widely used for transposition. The "por arriba" variant corresponds (when played without a capo) to the chord progression Am-G-F-E, option “por medio”: Dm-C-B-A. Modern guitarists, such as Ramon Montoya, have begun to use other fingering variations of the Andalusian cadence. So Montoya started using options: Hm-A-G-F# For tarants, Em-D-C-H For granadines (granaines) And C#m-H-A-G# For miners. Montoya also created a new genre of flamenco for solo guitar, Rondenha, with cadence F#m-E-D-C#, performed with scordatura (6th string: D; 3rd: F sharp). These options include sound as additional design elements open strings on non-chord steps, which has become a specific feature of flamenco harmony as a whole. Later, guitarists continued to expand the range of fingering options and scordaturas used.

Some flamenco styles use the major mode of the harmonic key, this cantina And alegria, guajira, some buleria And tones, and bondage(variety sigiriya). The minor scale is associated with farrukoy, milonga, some styles tango And buleria. In general, traditional styles using major and minor modes are limited in harmony by using two-chord (tonic-dominant) or three-chord (tonic-subdominant-dominant) progressions. However modern guitarists introduced the practice of replacing chords (eng. Chord substitution ), transitional chords and even modulation.

Fandango and its derivative styles such as Malagueña, Taranta and Cartajenera use two modes: the guitar intro is in Phrygian mode, while the opening chant is in major, changing back to Phrygian towards the end.

Singing

Singing in flamenco is characterized by the following features:

1. Vividly dramatic, often tragic in nature (in most styles).
2. Melodic improvisation based on a relatively small set of traditional melodic types.
3. Extremely rich ornamentation (melismatics).
4. The use of microintervals, that is, intervals smaller in magnitude than a semitone.
5. Portamento: Often the transition from one note to another occurs using a small smooth "approach" to the next note, that is, the notes are not immediately played accurately (in terms of pitch).
6. Narrow tessitura: Most traditional flamenco songs are limited to a range of a sixth (four and a half tones). Melodic diversity is achieved by singers through the use of different timbre and dynamic shades, micro-intervals, melismatic variation, etc.
7. Persistent repetition of one note and notes close to it on the chromatic scale (also used in guitar playing).
8. Lack of stable regular vocal meter, especially in genres cante jondo, such as Sigiriya etc. (in this case, a non-metric vocal melody can be superimposed on metric instrumental accompaniment).
9. A decrease in intensity from the beginning to the end of a vocal phrase.
10. In many styles, such as solea or Sigiriya, the melody tends to follow nearby steps. Jumps through a step or more are much less common (however, in fandango and its derivative styles, there are often jumps of three or four steps, especially at the beginning of each line of the song, which presumably indicates an earlier origin of songs of this style, influenced by Castilian music).

Compass

The most famous palos - toná, solea, saeta and siguiriya (toná, soleá, fandango, seguiriya) - belong to the category of cante jondo (cante jondo, or cante grande - the historical core of flamenco, the oldest musical and poetic tradition of Andalusia). The opposite category is [cante chico], or cante flamenco; it includes, for example, the genres of alegría, bulería, farruca. Both categories (jondo and chico) include singing, dancing, and playing the guitar as the main trinity, but the most ancient forms of flamenco are sung without instrumental accompaniment, and at its most modern versions Many introduced instruments appear from the violin and double bass to exotic percussion instruments of the East and Latin America, such as cajon, darbuka, bongos, etc.

Flamenco rendered big influence to many dance and music styles around the world. Recent decades mixed varieties of flamenco and other genres appeared: flamenco-pop, flamenco-jazz, flamenco rock, flamenco fusion, gypsy rumba and others.

There are adherents of flamenco who honor its traditions, which has both positive and negative sides. Strict adherence to tradition makes it impossible to deeply understand flamenco. Flamenco genres (singing, dancing, melody) are like a living organism, which requires their constant development, and without development there is no life. But along with the developing flamenco there is also scientific direction "flamencology"(a book with this title was written by Gonzalez Clement in 1955 and gave the name to this section of art criticism), flamencologists study the origins of flamenco and its “true” style, traditions, etc. Still on a par with supporters of the purity of the flamenco style ( purists) there are also adherents of its new forms and sounds.

Confession

Flamenco festivals

Among the most significant cities where flamenco exists today are Cadiz, Jerez, Seville, Cordoba, Granada, Barcelona and Madrid. Each of these cities has its own musical specifics, its own traditions and characteristics.

In Spain

One of the most authoritative, the largest flamenco festival in Spain takes place every two years in Seville under the name " " This festival was founded in 1980. True flamenco lovers come here from all over the world to see best artists: bailaors, cantaors and guitarists.

The International Guitar Festival is held annually in Cordoba. GUITARRA", with a performance at which the glory of talented young guitarists Vicente Amigo and Paco Serrano began.

Annual cante grande festivals, cante flamenco festivals and others take place throughout Spain.

In Russia

International Flamenco Festival “¡VIVA ESPAÑA!” The largest flamenco festival in Russia, held in Moscow (since 2001).

1- Russian Flamenco Festival " (link unavailable since 05/23/2013 (2141 days)) " - held for the first time in 2011. The festival will bring together only the world's outstanding flamenco stars.

An annual festival called “Northern Flamenco” takes place in St. Petersburg. In addition, the Cana Flamenca festival takes place twice a year.

In the world of modern guitar music, the annual festival “World of Guitar” has been running in Kaluga since 1997, the participants of which are various flamenco groups from Russia and Spain, and many bright names of foreign guitarists, from the world famous, such as Al di Meola (2004), Ivan Smirnov (“mascot” of the festival), Vicente Amigo (2006), Paco de Lucia (2007), etc.

In 2011, the House of Flamenco "Flamenqueria" opened in Moscow - the first flamenco school in Russia with permanent Spanish teachers.

In other countries

Every year since 2004, the Flamenco Festival takes place in London in February. One of largest festivals flamenco outside Spain has been taking place in the American city of Albuquerque, New Mexico for more than 20 years. In Ukraine, flamenco was represented by festivals in Kyiv (until 2006), Odessa (Festival of Flamenco and Latin American Culture in 2011) and Lviv (since 2010). Flamenco is widely represented at the “Nelly Syupure Invites” festivals, which have been taking place since 2010 in Kyiv, Sevastopol, and Sauvignon.

Famous flamenco artists

• Niña de los Peines, Lola Flores , Fosforito, Niña de La Puebla,
• Ramon Montoya Sr. ( Ramon Montoya), Paco de Lucia ( Paco de Lucia), Vicente Amigo ( Vicente Amigo), Manolo Sanlúcar ( Manolo Sanlúcar), R. Rikeni ( R. Riqueni), Paco Serrano ( Paco Serrano), Rafael Cortes ( Rafael Cortes)(guitar)
• Antonio Gades and Mario Maya ( Mario Maya) (dance)
• Camaron de la Isla ( Camarón de la Isla) and Enrique Morente (singing)
• Blanca del Rey ( Blanca Del Rey)
• Antonio Canales ( Antonio Canales)
• Antonio el Pipa, Javier Martos (dance)
• Maria Moya (dance)
• Gipsy Kings, Manzanita (guitar, singing)
• Santa Esmeralda (disco, plus guitar)
• Eva La Yerbabuena ( Eva La Yerbabuena)
• Estrella Morente
• Marina Heredia

• Flamenco dancer Joaquín Cortés is the Roma Ambassador to the European Union.
• "Duende" is the soul of flamenco, also translated from Spanish as "fire", "magic" or "feeling". “There is only one duende he is not capable of - repetition. Duende does not repeat itself, like the appearance of a stormy sea.”
• Until the second half of the 19th century, gypsies performed flamenco barefoot.

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An excerpt characterizing Flamenco

The forces of twelve languages ​​of Europe rushed into Russia. The Russian army and population retreat, avoiding a collision, to Smolensk and from Smolensk to Borodino. The French army, with ever-increasing speed, rushes towards Moscow, towards the goal of its movement. The strength of its swiftness, approaching the target, increases, just as the speed of a falling body increases as it approaches the ground. A thousand miles away is a hungry, hostile country; There are dozens of miles ahead, separating us from the goal. Every soldier of the Napoleonic army feels this, and the invasion is approaching by itself, by sheer force of swiftness.
In the Russian army, as they retreat, the spirit of bitterness against the enemy flares up more and more: retreating back, it concentrates and grows. There is a clash near Borodino. Neither one nor the other army disintegrates, but the Russian army immediately after the collision retreats just as necessarily as a ball necessarily rolls back when it collides with another ball rushing towards it with greater speed; and just as inevitably (although having lost all its strength in the collision) the rapidly scattering ball of invasion rolls over some more space.
The Russians retreat one hundred and twenty versts - beyond Moscow, the French reach Moscow and stop there. For five weeks after this there is not a single battle. The French don't move. Like a mortally wounded animal, which, bleeding, licks its wounds, they remain in Moscow for five weeks, doing nothing, and suddenly, without any new reason, they run back: they rush onto the Kaluga road (and after the victory, since again the battlefield remained behind them at Maloyaroslavets), without entering into a single serious battle, they run even faster back to Smolensk, beyond Smolensk, beyond Vilna, beyond the Berezina and beyond .
On the evening of August 26, both Kutuzov and the entire Russian army were sure that battle of Borodino won. Kutuzov wrote to the sovereign in this way. Kutuzov ordered to prepare for new fight, in order to finish off the enemy, not because he wanted to deceive anyone, but because he knew that the enemy was defeated, just as each of the participants in the battle knew it.
But that same evening and the next day, news began to arrive, one after another, about unheard-of losses, about the loss of half the army, and a new battle turned out to be physically impossible.
It was impossible to give battle when information had not yet been collected, the wounded had not been removed, shells had not been replenished, the dead had not been counted, new commanders had not been appointed to replace the dead, people had not eaten or slept.
And at the same time, immediately after the battle, the next morning, the French army (due to that rapid force of movement, now increased as if in the inverse ratio of the squares of the distances) was already advancing by itself on the Russian army. Kutuzov wanted to attack the next day, and the whole army wanted this. But in order to attack, the desire to do so is not enough; there needs to be an opportunity to do this, but this opportunity was not there. It was impossible not to retreat to one transition, then in the same way it was impossible not to retreat to another and a third transition, and finally on September 1, when the army approached Moscow, despite all the strength of the rising feeling in the ranks of the troops, the force of things demanded so that these troops march for Moscow. And the troops retreated one more, to the last crossing and gave Moscow to the enemy.
For those people who are accustomed to thinking that plans for wars and battles are drawn up by commanders in the same way as each of us, sitting in his office over a map, makes considerations about how and how he would manage such and such a battle, questions arise as to why Kutuzov didn’t do this and that when retreating, why he didn’t take up a position before Fili, why he didn’t immediately retreat to the Kaluga road, left Moscow, etc. People who are used to thinking like this forget or don’t know those inevitable conditions in which the activities of every commander in chief always take place. The activity of a commander does not have the slightest resemblance to the activity that we imagine, sitting freely in an office, analyzing some campaign on the map with a known number of troops, on both sides, and in a certain area, and starting our considerations with what someday famous moment. The commander-in-chief is never in those conditions of the beginning of some event in which we always consider the event. The commander-in-chief is always in the middle of a moving series of events, and so that never, at any moment, is he able to think through the full significance of the event taking place. The event is imperceptibly, moment by moment, carved into its meaning, and at every moment of this sequential, continuous carving of the event, the commander-in-chief is at the center the most difficult game, intrigues, worries, dependence, power, projects, advice, threats, deceptions, he is constantly in the need to answer countless questions offered to him, always contradicting one another.
Military scientists tell us very seriously that Kutuzov, much earlier than Filey, should have moved troops to the Kaluga road, that someone even proposed such a project. But before the commander-in-chief, especially in Hard time, there is not just one project, but always dozens at the same time. And each of these projects, based on strategy and tactics, contradicts one another. The commander-in-chief's job, it would seem, is only to choose one of these projects. But he cannot do this either. Events and time do not wait. He is offered, let’s say, on the 28th to go to the Kaluga road, but at this time Miloradovich’s adjutant jumps up and asks whether to start business with the French now or retreat. He needs to give orders now, this very minute. And the order to retreat takes us off the turn onto the Kaluga road. And following the adjutant, the quartermaster asks where to take the provisions, and the head of the hospitals asks where to take the wounded; and a courier from St. Petersburg brings a letter from the sovereign, which does not allow the possibility of leaving Moscow, and the rival of the commander-in-chief, the one who undermines him (there are always such, and not one, but several), proposes a new project, diametrically opposed to the plan for access to the Kaluga road; and the forces of the commander-in-chief himself require sleep and reinforcement; and the venerable general, bypassed by a reward, comes to complain, and the inhabitants beg for protection; the officer sent to inspect the area arrives and reports the exact opposite of what the officer sent before him said; and the spy, the prisoner and the general doing reconnaissance - all describe the position of the enemy army differently. People who are accustomed to not understanding or forgetting these the necessary conditions activities of any commander-in-chief, present to us, for example, the position of the troops in Fili and at the same time assume that the commander-in-chief could completely freely resolve the issue of abandoning or defending Moscow on September 1, whereas with the position of the Russian army five miles from Moscow this issue could not have arisen . When was this issue resolved? And near Drissa, and near Smolensk, and most noticeably on the 24th near Shevardin, and on the 26th near Borodin, and on every day, hour, and minute of the retreat from Borodino to Fili.

Russian troops, having retreated from Borodino, stood at Fili. Ermolov, who had gone to inspect the position, drove up to the field marshal.
“There is no way to fight in this position,” he said. Kutuzov looked at him in surprise and forced him to repeat the words he had said. When he spoke, Kutuzov extended his hand to him.
“Give me your hand,” he said, and, turning it so as to feel his pulse, he said: “You’re not well, my dear.” Think about what you are saying.
Kutuzov on Poklonnaya Hill, six miles from the Dorogomilovskaya outpost, got out of the carriage and sat down on a bench on the edge of the road. A huge crowd of generals gathered around him. Count Rastopchin, having arrived from Moscow, joined them. This whole brilliant society, divided into several circles, talked among themselves about the advantages and disadvantages of the position, about the position of the troops, about the proposed plans, about the state of Moscow, and about military issues in general. Everyone felt that although they had not been called to this, although it was not called that, it was a council of war. The conversations were all kept in the area of ​​general issues. If anyone reported or learned personal news, it was said in a whisper, and they immediately went back to general questions: no jokes, no laughter, no smiles were even noticeable between all these people. Everyone, obviously with effort, tried to stay at the height of the situation. And all the groups, talking among themselves, tried to stay close to the commander-in-chief (whose shop was the center in these circles) and spoke so that he could hear them. The commander-in-chief listened and sometimes asked questions about what was being said around him, but he himself did not enter into the conversation and did not express any opinion. For the most part Having listened to the conversation of some circle, he turned away with a look of disappointment - as if they were talking about something completely different from what he wanted to know. Some spoke about the chosen position, criticizing not so much the position itself as the mental abilities of those who chose it; others argued that a mistake had been made earlier, that the battle should have been fought on the third day; still others talked about the Battle of Salamanca, which the Frenchman Crosard, who had just arrived in a Spanish uniform, told about. (This Frenchman, together with one of the German princes who served in the Russian army, dealt with the siege of Saragossa, foreseeing the opportunity to also defend Moscow.) In the fourth circle, Count Rastopchin said that he and the Moscow squad were ready to die under the walls of the capital, but that everything yet he cannot help but regret the uncertainty in which he was left, and that if he had known this before, things would have been different... The fifth, showing the depth of their strategic considerations, talked about the direction that the troops would have to take. The sixth spoke complete nonsense. Kutuzov's face became more and more concerned and sadder. From all the conversations of these Kutuzovs I saw one thing: there was no way to defend Moscow. physical ability V full meaning these words, that is, it was not possible to such an extent that if some crazy commander-in-chief had given the order to start a battle, then confusion would have occurred and the battle would not have happened after all; it would not have been because all the top leaders not only recognized this position as impossible, but in their conversations they discussed only what would happen after the undoubted abandonment of this position. How could commanders lead their troops on a battlefield they considered impossible? The lower commanders, even the soldiers (who also reason), also recognized the position as impossible and therefore could not go to fight with the certainty of defeat. If Bennigsen insisted on defending this position and others were still discussing it, then this question no longer mattered in itself, but mattered only as a pretext for dispute and intrigue. Kutuzov understood this.
Bennigsen, having chosen a position, ardently exposing his Russian patriotism (which Kutuzov could not listen to without wincing), insisted on the defense of Moscow. Kutuzov saw Bennigsen’s goal as clear as day: if the defense failed, to blame Kutuzov, who brought the troops to the Sparrow Hills without a battle, and if successful, to attribute it to himself; in case of refusal, to clear oneself of the crime of leaving Moscow. But this question of intrigue did not occupy the old man’s mind now. One scary question occupied him. And he did not hear an answer to this question from anyone. The question for him now was only this: “Did I really allow Napoleon to reach Moscow, and when did I do it? When was this decided? Was it really yesterday, when I sent an order to Platov to retreat, or the evening of the third day, when I dozed off and ordered Bennigsen to give orders? Or even before?.. but when, when was this terrible matter decided? Moscow must be abandoned. The troops must retreat, and this order must be given.” To give this terrible order seemed to him the same thing as giving up command of the army. And not only did he love power, got used to it (the honor given to Prince Prozorovsky, under whom he was in Turkey, teased him), he was convinced that the salvation of Russia was destined for him and that only because, against the will of the sovereign and by the will of the people, he was elected commander-in-chief. He was convinced that he alone, even in these difficult conditions, could remain at the head of the army, that he alone in the whole world was able to know the invincible Napoleon as his opponent without horror; and he was horrified at the thought of the order he was about to give. But something had to be decided, it was necessary to stop these conversations around him, which were beginning to take on too free a character.
He called the senior generals to him.
“Ma tete fut elle bonne ou mauvaise, n"a qu"a s"aider d"elle meme, [Is my head good or bad, but there is no one else to rely on," he said, getting up from the bench, and went to Fili, where his crews were stationed.

In the spacious, best hut of the peasant Andrei Savostyanov, the council met at two o’clock. Men, women and children of peasants big family crowded into the black hut through the entryway. Only Andrei’s granddaughter, Malasha, a six-year-old girl, to whom His Serene Highness, having caressed her, gave her a lump of sugar for tea, remained on the stove in the big hut. Malasha timidly and joyfully looked from the stove at the faces, uniforms and crosses of the generals, one after another entering the hut and sitting down in the red corner, on wide benches under the icons. Grandfather himself, as Malasha Kutuzova internally called him, sat apart from them, in a dark corner behind the stove. He sat, sank deeply into a folding chair, and incessantly grunted and straightened the collar of his coat, which, although unbuttoned, still seemed to be squeezing his neck. Those entering one after another approached the field marshal; He shook hands with some, nodded his head at others. Adjutant Kaisarov wanted to pull back the curtain in the window facing Kutuzov, but Kutuzov angrily waved his hand at him, and Kaisarov realized that his Serene Highness did not want his face to be seen.
So many people had gathered around the peasant’s spruce table, on which lay maps, plans, pencils, and papers, that the orderlies brought another bench and placed it near the table. The people who came sat down on this bench: Ermolov, Kaisarov and Tol. Under the very images, in the first place, sat with George on his neck, with a pale, sickly face and with his high forehead merging with his bare head, Barclay de Tolly. For the second day already he suffered from fever, and at that very time he was shivering and aching. Uvarov sat next to him and, in a quiet voice (as everyone else said), quickly making gestures, told Barclay. Small, round Dokhturov, raising his eyebrows and folding his hands on his stomach, listened carefully. On the other side, Count Osterman Tolstoy sat, leaning his broad head on his arm, with bold features and sparkling eyes, and seemed lost in his thoughts. Raevsky, with an expression of impatience, curling his black hair at his temples with the usual forward gesture, glanced first at Kutuzov, then at front door. Konovnitsyn’s firm, handsome and kind face shone with a gentle and cunning smile. He met Malasha's gaze and made signs to her with his eyes that made the girl smile.
Everyone was waiting for Bennigsen, who was finishing his delicious lunch under the pretext of a new inspection of the position. They waited for him from four to six hours, and during all this time they did not start the meeting and carried on extraneous conversations in quiet voices.

Spaniards all love to dance. There are four styles of dance - modern, classical, flamenco and folk.

Flamenco dance- a descendant of ancient Indian dances, appeared in Spain in 500-250 BC, when Indian dancers arrived in Spain through the port of Cadiz to entertain the royal nobility. Almost 1000 years later, the Moors and Gypsies came to Spanish soil and brought their own dance styles. The fusion of several cultures of the Iberian Peninsula (Arab, Gypsy, Jewish, Christian) improved the already existing flamenco dance. Being folk look creativity, the skill of flamenco was passed on from teacher to student and was not written down on paper.

Flamenco dance in pairs

This musical genre was born in Andalusia, but throughout Spain there are flamenco performers - guitarists (guitarristas), dancers (bailarínes), singers (cantantes). Flamenco is one of the symbols of Spain, which is of paramount importance for dance culture. Flamenco is a folk single dance in which gestures are a passionate and emotional expression of feelings. This is a dance of inner liberation, a dance for women with destiny!

A rather dry and precise description of flamenco is given in the BES: “Flamenco dances (allegrias, soleares, farucca, etc.) are common among the gypsies of southern Spain. They use complex and varied tapping or alternating blows of heels and toes, and the hands play a significant role. Castanets are rarely used and usually by women. Flamenco dancing is performed to the accompaniment of a guitar, shouting, and clapping. Improvisation is allowed, incomparably greater than in other Spanish folk dances."

The intensity of passions is sometimes so high that it seems that a man and a woman dancing on high heels, want to dance each other until exhaustion. Even in Latin American countries, there are genres that are a mixture of flamenco. The first Spanish emigrants brought them to America. An example is the Cubanhabaneras. Varieties flamencomany: fandango, malagueña, alegrias, saltares, farruca...

Flamenco - fire dance

Sevillana- one of the popular dances in Andalusia. They dance in pairs. The dancers clap their hands to the rhythm set by the guitar and sing at the same time. During the dance, the partners constantly move closer to each other, then move away.

Sardana- Catalan national holiday. Its name comes from the name of the island of Sardinia, in Italy. For a long time, this island was part of the Aragonese kingdom. The dancers, their number limited only by the size of the dance floor, join hands. Forming a circle, they make certain movements, beating time with their heels.

Chotis- dance of the people of Madrid. Very slow dance. Dances in pairs, partners press closely to each other. The dance movements are very simple: three steps to the left, three to the right, turn. The couple dances the entire dance on the “patch”.

Muneira- a dance common in Galicia. It is danced in a group. Dancers raise their arms and perform a variety of fast jumps.

Khota- a dance popular throughout Spain. The most famous jota in Aragon. Each province has its own variety of dance.

Paso Doble is a dance associated with bullfighting. Many famous bullfighters have their own paso doble. They dance in pairs. The dancers portray a bullfighter and his cape, obeying the rhythm of the musical accompaniment.

Alegrias- cheerful dance. The homeland of alegrias is the city of Cadiz. The appearance of this dance is associated with the victory of the Spaniards over Napoleon's troops. Due to its geographical location, the city was under enemy attack for a long time. The forces of the defenders were running out, it seemed that defeat was about to come, but the Arragonese came to the aid of the inhabitants from the north and helped them at the decisive moment. Often the couplets of alegrias tell about this event. Alegrias have many movements from the Aragonese jota. Alegrias wears a cheerful, but at the same time a little tough and victorious. Performed in a major key.

Farruca (La Farruca) - a spectacular male dance that was originally a song. The gypsies from Andalusia adopted the farucca and changed it in their own way. This dance is one of the modern forms of flamenco and is performed in a minor key. Originally, farukka was a dance for men, but now it is increasingly performed by women dressed in men's clothing. Farukka is a majestic, proud, solemn dance.

Seguidilla- dance from La Mancha. Refers to classical dances of the 18th century. A woman's hands weave lace patterns with her own smooth movements. U men's movements are distinguished by severity, sublimity and clear plasticity. The movements of the hands are fast and agile, they cut through the air like sword strikes, like lightning arrows.

Experts say that for anyone dance of spain characterized by incredible rhythm, emotionality and variety of movements. This is the secret of its rapid spread throughout the world. On theater stages there are more and more productions of ballets based specifically on dances from Spain.

Andalusia is the very south of the Iberian Peninsula, the southern gate of Europe, through which countless peoples have passed over three thousand years. Their traditions and culture, as if in a cauldron, were mixed here and presented to the world something new, an exclusively local product. Flamenco is one of the best dishes to emerge from this cauldron and spread throughout the world.

We do not know the original meaning of this word. And why! Flamenco is a song and dance with which a person expresses his joy and sorrow. It can be frivolous, dressed in polka dot dresses with ruffles and flounces, or it can be thoughtful, suffering, raising its hands to the sky in powerlessness.

Antonio Machado (1875-1939)

Cante jondo

Quiet, I unwinded tiredly
a tangle of thoughts, hardships and despondency,
when through the window, wide open,
from a summer night, hot as the desert,

came the groan of a drowsy tune -
and, divining the weeping cantilena,
broke the strings into gloomy trills
the melody of my native villages.

...There was Love, crimson like a flame...
And a nervous hand in response to roulades
took off with a shiver of a golden sigh,
which turned into a meteor shower.

...And Death was there, with a scythe behind his shoulders...
- I imagined her like this as a child -
a skeleton that prowled the roads...

And, resoundingly echoing the peace of death,
hand on the disturbed strings
fell like the lid of a coffin.

And the gray cry breathed like the wind,
sweeping away dust and ashes, blowing away.

In addition to Arab, Jewish and even African musical traditions, the formation of flamenco song features was influenced by two facts: the use of early middle ages in Spain, Greek-Byzantine church singing and the resettlement of a large number of gypsies at once, again from Byzantine Empire, after its fall under the blows of the Ottomans in 1453.

The ingredients were mixed for several centuries, and in the 18th century. formed a new style. At first it belonged to large gypsy families, played only for their own in the patio. Singing and dancing were as necessary for them as breathing. Flamenco is characterized by impulsiveness and improvisation, where the singer (cantaor) and the guitarist, singer and dancer (bailaor) conduct a dialogue. By the end of the century, flamenco took to the streets and occupied taverns and inns. Now this style has more than 50 varieties. It is performed with a guitar, the sound of a cajon (percussion box) and castanets.

Here are some of the styles and their content:
Tientos sings of wisdom;
Sigiriya (Siguirilla) reflects on life and death;
Farruca speaks of moderation and simplicity;
Fandango sings about love and sorrow;
Solea is seething with passion;
Alegrias entertains with elegance and grace;
Tangos and Bulerias are raging with fun and enthusiasm.

Having reached its peak in the 1920s, flamenco experienced a crisis in subsequent years. Commercialization and professionalization led to the hollowing out of his spirit. Disputes began about the purity of style and the legitimacy of innovations. However, being the product of a fusion of many traditions, flamenco cannot help but accept new elements. So, in 1995, singer Enrique Morente performed the poems of Federico García Lorca to thrash metal music.

The now living guitarist Paco de Lucia, one of the creators of the new flamenco style, connects it with modern music and Brazilian rhythms. He was the first to use the cajon after receiving it as a gift from Peru in the 1970s. Since then, it is difficult to imagine a flamenco concert without a cajon.

Antonio Gades, one of Spain's most decorated dancers, received the National Dance Award in 1988 for "his contribution to establishing the connection between the flamenco tradition and modern trends in Spanish dance." The writer Caballero Bonald said about him: “His dance hides the entire depth of folk custom.<>Perhaps the most important artistic merit of Antonio Gades was that he was able to introduce the tragic fury of flamenco into the expressive grace of academic and school dance. The sophistication of gestures and the presence of classical hand movements are combined here with the open frenzy of the Gypsy-Andalusian dance.”

Joaquín Cortés, who represents the Roma in the European Union, has created his own style, which includes flamenco, classical ballet and jazz. Some may not like the glamorous image of Spanish dance, but a talented dancer has made it famous and popular all over the world.

Federico Garcia Lorca (1898 — 1936 )

Portrait of Silverio Franconetti (Gypsy Vignettes), 1921

Copper gypsy string
and the warmth of Italian wood -
that's what it was
singing Silverio.
Italy's honey for our lemons
went in addition
and gave a special taste
I cry for him.
A terrible scream erupted from the depths
this voice.
The old people say they moved
hair,
and the mercury melted
mirrors
Sliding through the tones, never
didn't break them.
Still planting flower beds
the master was rare
and build from the silence
gazebos.
And now his tune
melts in the last echoes,
pure and complete
melts in the last echoes.

Speaking about inspiration, Lorca distinguished between three types: “angel”, “muse” and “duende”. “An angel illuminates, but he himself is high above a person, he overshadows him with grace, and a person, without knowing painful efforts, creates, loves, dances”; “The muse dictates, but it happens and whispers.” The angel and the muse descend. We must fight for the third state: “Duende is power, not labor, battle, not thought.” “Duende is possible in any art, but, of course, it has more scope in music, dance and oral poetry, which need to be embodied in the living human body, because they are born and die forever, but live momentarily.”

To illustrate the duende, Lorca told the following story: “Once upon a time, the Andalusian singer Pastora Pavon, the Girl with the Combs, a gloomy Spanish spirit with a fantasy to match Goya or Rafael El Gallo, sang in one of the taverns of Cadiz. She played with her dark voice, mossy, shimmering, fusible, like tin, wrapped it in strands of hair, bathed it in manzanilla, led it into the distant wilderness. And all in vain. There was silence around.<>Only a malicious little man, like those springy little devils that jump out of a bottle, said in a low voice: “Long live Paris!” - and it sounded: “We don’t need any inclinations or training. We need something else."

And then the Girl with the Crests jumped up, wild as an ancient mourner, drank a glass of fiery casaglia in one gulp and sang, with a scorched throat, without breath, without a voice, without anything, but... with duende. She knocked out all the supports from the song to give way to the violent, burning duende, brother of the samoom, and he forced the audience to tear their clothes, as the Antillean blacks tear them in a trance before the image of Saint Barbara. The girl with the combs broke her voice, because she knew: these judges do not need the form, but its nerve, pure music - ethereality, born to soar. She sacrificed her gift and skill - pushing aside the muse, defenseless, she waited for the duende, begging to make her happy with the duel. And how she sang! The voice no longer played - it poured out in a stream of blood, genuine as the pain itself, it branched with a ten-fingered hand on the nailed but not humbled feet of Christ, sculpted by Juan do Huni" (Lectures and performances: Duende, theme with variations (1930)).

Isn't this what fascinates us most about flamenco? Duende can be shown by a person who has experienced a lot, so the outstanding performers are not the young and flexible, but the mature and sophisticated. They may not be able to produce incredible shots at high speeds, but they know how to position their heads and wave their arms in such a way that the audience gets goosebumps all over their bodies.

You should also not think that flamenco is only available to Spaniards. At one of the festivals, the audience gave a standing ovation to a Japanese dancer who infected everyone with his emotions. The international festival “¡Viva España!” has been taking place in Moscow for 12 years now, where Russian (and not only) performers demonstrate their technique and charisma to the jury and simply connoisseurs of this culture. In big cities there are various flamenco schools where they teach fractions, the compass, playing castanets, and most importantly the ability to carry yourself and hold your head high.

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Flamenco - national spanish dance. But this is too simple and exaggerated a definition, because flamenco is passion, fire, bright emotions and drama. It is enough to see the spectacular and expressive movements of the dancers once to forget about keeping track of time. And the music... This is a separate story... Let's not bore you - it's time to plunge into the history and specifics of this dance.

The history of flamenco: the pain of exiled peoples

The official date of birth of flamenco is 1785. It was then that Juan Ignacio Gonzalez del Castillo, a Spanish playwright, first used the word "flamenco". But these are formalities. In fact, the history of this trend goes back more than 10 centuries, during which the culture of Spain changed and developed with the participation of other nationalities. We invite you to feel the atmosphere of bygone years in order to better feel the energy and character of the dance.

Our story begins back in 711 in ancient Andalusia, located in the southern part of the Iberian Peninsula. Now it is an autonomous Spanish community, but then power on this land belonged to the Visigoths, an ancient Germanic tribe. Tired of the arbitrariness of the ruling elite, the population of Andalusia turned to Muslims for help. So the peninsula was conquered by the Moors or Arabs who came from North Africa.

For more than 700 years, the territory of ancient Spain was in the hands of the Moors. They managed to turn her into the most beautiful European country. People from all over the continent flocked here to admire the magnificent architecture, learn about science and understand the sophistication of oriental poetry.

The development of music does not stand aside either. Persian motifs begin to take over the minds of the inhabitants of Andalusia, forcing them to change their musical and dance traditions. Abu al-Hasan Ali, a Baghdad musician and poet, played a huge role in this. Art critics see in his work the first traces of flamenco and give him the right to be considered the father of Andalusian music.

In the 15th century, Christian states located in the northern part of the peninsula began to displace the Arabs. Where the Spanish Moors disappeared is a mystery that historians are not yet able to solve. Despite this, eastern culture became part of the worldview of the people who inhabited Andalusia. But for the emergence of flamenco, the suffering of another ethnic group persecuted around the world is not enough - the gypsies.

Tired of constant wandering, the gypsies came to the peninsula in 1425. These lands seemed like paradise to them, but the local authorities disliked the foreigners and persecuted them. Everything associated with gypsies was considered criminal, including dancing and music.

Bloody persecution did not prevent gypsy folklore from uniting with Eastern traditions, which by that time had already taken root among the local population of Andalusia. It is from this moment that flamenco begins to emerge - at the junction of several cultures.

Where does history take us next? To Spanish taverns and pubs. It is here that the local population begins to perform a sensual dance, attracting more and more curious eyes to it. For now, flamenco exists only for a narrow circle of people. But at about mid-19th century style goes outdoors. Street performances or fiestas are no longer complete without passionate and emotional flamenco dance moves.

And then a professional stage awaits the dance. Flamencologists note that the peak of the genre falls on the second half of XIX century, when the Spanish population was crazy about the work of singer Silverio Franconetti. But the age of dance was fleeting. By the end of the century, flamenco had become a common form of entertainment in the eyes of young people. The history of dance, filled with suffering and pain of various nationalities, has remained in the background.

The musician Federico García Lorca and the poet Manuel de Falla did not allow flamenco to be equated with low-grade art and to allow the genre to leave the cozy streets of Spain forever. With their easy support, the first festival of Andalusian folk singing took place in 1922, where melodies beloved by many Spaniards were played.

A year earlier, flamenco became part of Russian ballet thanks to Sergei Diaghilev. He organized a performance for the Parisian public, which helped the style spread beyond Spain.

What is flamenco now? An endless number of varieties in which you can discern features of jazz, rumba, cha-cha-cha and other dance styles. The desire to unite various cultures has not disappeared anywhere, just like the basis of flamenco - sensuality and passion.

What is flamenco?

Flamenco is an art in which equal importance belongs to three components: dance (baile), song (cante) and guitar accompaniment (tok). These parts are inseparable from each other if we are talking about a dramatic type of style.

Why exactly guitar became the main one musical instrument? Because it was played well by the gypsies, whose traditions became an integral part spanish culture. The flamenco guitar is very similar to the classical one, although it weighs less and looks more compact. Due to this, the sound is sharper and more rhythmic, which is what is required for real flamenco performance.

What comes first in this style, baile or cante, dance or song? Those who are barely familiar with flamenco will say that baile. In fact, the main role is played by the song, which follows clear musical rules. The dance acts as a frame. It complements the sensual component of the melody and helps retell the story through body language.

Is it difficult to learn to dance flamenco? Watching videos of girls impressively waving their arms and rhythmically clicking their heels, it seems that everything is simple. But in order to master basic movements genre, a person without proper physical training will have to make efforts. The hands become very tired, and difficulties arise in maintaining balance.

What's interesting: flamenco dance is pure improvisation. The performer simply tries to keep the rhythm of the music, performing various choreographic elements. To learn to dance flamenco, you need to experience the culture of Spain.

We list the characteristic movements that will not allow you to confuse flamenco with any dance style:

expressive plasticity of the hands, especially the hands;

shot with heels;

sharp lunges and turns;

clapping and finger snapping, which makes the music even more rhythmic and energetic.

Interesting Facts

• There is a whole science of studying flamenco. It’s called flamencology. We owe its appearance to Gonzalez Clement, who published a book of the same name in 1955. And two years later, a flamencology department was opened in the Spanish city of Jerez de la Frontera.

The six-string guitar is the national Spanish instrument, without which flamenco performance is unthinkable.

The traditional female costume of a flamenco performer is a long floor-length dress or bata de cola. Its mandatory elements are a tight-fitting bodice, many frills and flounces along the edge of the skirt and sleeves. Due to the peculiarities of the cut, spectacular movements are obtained during the dance. Doesn't remind you of anything? The clothes were borrowed from gypsies and became a symbol of femininity and attractiveness.

Flamenco is involuntarily associated with the color red. But professional dancers see this only as a national stereotype. Where did the myth of the red dance come from? From the name of the style. Translated from Latin, “flamma” means flame, fire. These concepts are invariably associated with shades of red. Parallels are also drawn with flamingos, whose name is so consonant with a passionate dance.

Another stereotype is associated with castanets. This percussion instrument in the form of two concave plates, which are put on the hands. Yes, their sound can be clearly heard during the dance. Yes, dancers use them. But in traditional flamenco, girls’ hands should be free. Where did the tradition of dancing with castanets come from then? Thanks to the public, who enthusiastically accepted the use of this musical instrument.

The nature of the style largely determines the dancers' shoes. The toe and heel of the shoes are specially tacked with small nails to obtain a characteristic sound when performing the roll. It’s not for nothing that flamenco is considered a prototype tap dancers.

The Spanish city of Seville is considered one of the most significant in the development of flamenco. There is a museum dedicated to this dance here. It was opened by Cristina Hoyos, a famous dancer. This city is popular thanks to literary characters: Don Quixote And Carmen.

With the names of which dancers is flamenco associated? These are, of course, Antonia Merce i Luca, Carmen Amaya, Mercedes Ruiz and Magdalena Seda.

Popular melodies in flamenco rhythms

Como El Agua performed by Camarón de la Isla. This spanish singer with gypsy roots is considered the most famous flamenco performer, so it is impossible to ignore his work. The presented song was recorded in the early 80s of the last century and won the love of the public with its love lyrics and Camaron’s emotionally intense voice.

"Como El Agua" (listen)

"Macarena" or the well-known “Macarena” - another bright “representative” of the flamenco genre, although the song was initially presented as a rumba. The composition belongs to the work of the Spanish duo Los del Río, who presented it to the public in 1993. After dance music a dance of the same name arose. By the way, the title of the song is the name of the daughter of Antonio Romero, one of the members of the duet.

"Macarena" (listen)

"Entre dos aguas" is a story told through a guitar. No words, just music. Its creator is Paco de Lucia, a famous virtuoso guitarist in whose hands the traditional Spanish instrument began to sound especially melodic and beautiful. The composition was recorded in the 70s and does not lose relevance among fans of the genre to this day. Some admit that they became inspired by flamenco thanks to Paco’s work.

"Entre dos aguas" (listen)

"Cuando te beso" is a bright and fiery song performed by the no less bright Spaniard Niña Pastori. The woman began singing at the age of 4 and from that moment on she has not parted with music and flamenco, not being afraid to combine the genre with modern rhythms.

“Cuando te beso” (listen)

"Pokito a Poko"- one of the famous compositions of the Spanish group Chambao. What is remarkable about their work? Its participants combined flamenco with electronic music, this ensured the popularity of the trio. The presented song captivates with beautiful vocals, light and exciting melody and passionate dancing which are presented in the clip.

"Pokito a Poko" (listen)

Flamenco and cinema

Do you want to get to know the art of flamenco better? We suggest setting aside a few evenings to watch films in which the main role belongs to this particular dance.

Flamenco (2010) tells the history of the style through the eyes of famous dancers. The film was shot in the documentary genre.

Lola (2007) tells the story of Lole Flores, who is remembered by the public for her passion for performing flamenco.

"Snow White" (2012) is a black and white silent film where all the drama is expressed through dance.